This invention relates to intrusion detection and secure alarm communication systems that may be used to provide security for weapons creating materials stored in a space.
Recent terrorist acts and analysis have shown that weapons of mass destruction can be created from “active ingredients” that are in inactive storage and are minimally guarded within the United States and the rest of the world. These “active ingredients” of weapons of mass destruction include radioactive materials, chemical materials, and biological materials. An example weapon is the radioactive dispersal device or RDD, otherwise known a dirty bomb. This device is an explosive charge surrounded by non-weapons grade radioactive material that is dispersed in a populated area by detonation of the explosive charge. The explosive charge is readily available, and the “active ingredient”, the radioactive material, may be stolen from thousands of minimally guarded storage sites in the world. Similarly, there are numerous sites at which are stored aging chemical weapons such as nerve gas canisters. Therefore, the theft of these “active ingredient” materials by terrorists presents a major risk to the security of the citizens of the United States. Due to the utility of these materials as building blocks for terrorist weapons, these materials require higher levels of security than is presently in place. The risk of a catastrophe increases greatly if any theft of these materials is not immediately detected, thereby allowing the terrorists time to flee and go into hiding to prepare the weapon. Armed guards may be used, but they are an expensive option. Also, armed guards must be constantly present in sufficient force to ensure that they are not overwhelmed before giving an alarm to local law enforcement personnel. Also, armed guards may be compromised by threats or bribery to aid in the theft and the non-reporting of it. Custom designed vaults may be used, but they are also expensive and take a significant time to construct. Ideally, it would be desirable to have an intrusion detection and alarm communication system that is economical and easily and quickly installed at an existing storage location. The security system would maintain a secure communication link to a receiving station manned by sufficient personnel so as to be very nearly incorruptible. The system would announce an alarm at the receiving station, whenever an intrusion was detected or whenever the secure communication link was lost. The receiving station personnel would dispatch rapid response armed personnel to the site to prevent the attempted theft or hotly pursue the thieves until they are captured. The security system would be mass-produceable to minimize costs. Once in place and activated, the system would be constantly active. It would have no means to be turned off without giving an alarm.
A sophisticated intruder team can circumvent existing alarm communication links that transmit an alarm signal from a remote secure site to a receiving station. If the communication link is simple and the secure site only transmits an alarm signal when an intruder is detected, the transmitting mechanism or the communication link only needs to be disabled prior to the intrusion. Then, the alarm signal will not be received and the disabling of the communication link is not immediately detected by the receiving station. If the transmitter at the secure site maintains a constant communication signal on the communication link to demonstrate its integrity, a bogus transmitter operated by the intruder team and interrupting the real transmitter signal prior to the intrusion can replicate the constant signal on the communication link and deceive the receiver. Alternatively, the personnel at the receiving station could be forcibly overwhelmed or compromised by bribery or threats. In any of these scenarios, an intrusion would not be communicated to the outside world for a period of time and that would facilitate the theft and the escape of the intruders. It is advantageous for this time delay to be as short as possible to maximize the probability of successful intervention of the theft and the recovery of the stolen material.